Lagos Residents Raise Alarm Over Irregular PSP Waste Collection
- Residents across Lagos raised alarm over worsening irregularities in waste collection by Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators, warning of mounting health and environmental risks
- Many communities reported long gaps in refuse evacuation, forcing households to burn waste or dump it in gutters during rainfall
- From Ikorodu to Alagbado, residents said inconsistent services and rising costs had left neighbourhoods littered, while some areas like Lekki Phase 1 continued to enjoy steady collection
Residents of Lagos have voiced growing concern over what they described as increasingly irregular services by Private Sector Participant (PSP) waste operators.
They warned that indiscriminate dumping of refuse was worsening environmental and public health risks.
Source: Getty Images
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, November 16, 2025, residents across Ikorodu, Ayobo, Alagbado, Shasha, Ikotun, Akesan, Afariogun Street, Mafoluku, Airport Road, and LASU-Iba Road reported long gaps in waste evacuation. Many households said they had resorted to burning refuse or dumping it in gutters, particularly during rainfall.
Residents speak on waste disposal challenges
In Ikorodu, businesswoman Miss Adekoya Toyosi said PSP operators no longer maintained predictable schedules.
“Collection sometimes drops from three times a month to once a month. If the waste is much and the PSP doesn’t come around, we use the gutter when it rains, and sometimes we burn it when it’s sunny,” she explained, noting that residents paid between ₦500 and ₦700 depending on waste volume.
Mr Timilehin Ogunnariwo, a human resource practitioner, said PSP trucks often arrived already full, leaving inner streets unattended.
“I use three drums in my compound, but when waste accumulates, rats scatter it everywhere. Leakage from overflowing PSP trucks in the local market has become a recurring environmental hazard,” he stated.
Fashion designer Mrs Ajibola Mafolayanmi said she burned her waste three to four times weekly.
“There is a field where people dispose of their waste, but it’s far. Burning gives us catarrh and cough, but we have no choice since the PSP does not come to our area,” she explained.
Market supervisor Mrs Ogundinmu Mariam said refuse was evacuated weekly through the local council but not consistently.
“During the rainy season, the whole place becomes messy and smelly. Some residents have turned to informal haulers,” she said.
Food vendor Mrs Oluranti Favour added that cart pushers had become her main option, while another resident, Iya Gbogo, said she paid between ₦500 and ₦1,000 weekly for private disposal because she was not registered under the PSP.
Source: Twitter
Service gaps across Lagos neighbourhoods
In Ayobo Extension, residents linked service lapses to bad roads and persistent rainfall. Mrs Gloria Ogbu said operators resurfaced “only after a very long while.”
At Shasha, Egbeda, teacher Mrs Stella Lawrence accused PSP operators of rendering “selective services,” noting that nearby estates enjoyed regular pickups while other streets were neglected.
“They should make waste evacuation regular and affordable. Many people now rely on banned cart pushers,” she said.
Along AIT Road, Alagbado, NAN observed heaps of refuse on the road median, attributed to weeks of non-collection.
In Ikotun, journalist Mr Ugochukwu Eze criticised the billing system.
“Sometimes, they don’t come for two weeks, yet they bill you as if they came. They behave like the former NEPA that bills you whether service is rendered or not,” he said, calling for a pay-as-you-go model.
Civil servant Mr Kunle Ayodele, speaking from the Akesan–Badore axis along LASU–Isheri Road, said PSP operators had not visited in more than three weeks.
“The heaps of dirt pose a risk of disease outbreak. PSP comes only twice a month, so people now dump refuse on the expressway,” he explained, adding that the closure of the Igando dumpsite and relocation to Badagry had increased turnaround time and diesel costs.
In Ajao Estate, civil servant Mr Ugochukwu Okoro said PSP operators had reduced collection despite regular payments.
“I don’t understand what is happening. PSP operators who used to come every Wednesday are no longer coming. Ajao Estate, known for its cleanliness, is gradually being littered with waste,” he said.
In contrast, residents of Lekki Phase 1 reported steady service. Civil servant Mrs Ese Afolabi commended PSP operators for evacuating waste every Monday or the next day if delayed. “Their consistency keeps the environment clean and healthy,” she said.
Scrap pickers association responds
The President of the Association of Scrap and Waste Pickers of Lagos, Mr Friday Oku, acknowledged concerns about scavengers scattering waste at collection points.
He said the association was collaborating with government agencies to train waste pickers on proper handling and occupational safety.
“Some are not under our association and avoid training because they fear taxation. We are planning more community awareness and training next year,” he explained.
Lagos govt announces N250,000 fine for illegal waste disposal
Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu-led Lagos state government has announced that ₦250,000 fine or three months imprisonment for dumping refuse illegally or littering public spaces.
The state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, warned that “serial offenders will face even stiffer punishments.”
Wahab said the ministry will leave no room for excuses, as he reads the riot act to residents who treat environmental laws as optional.
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Source: Legit.ng
